18 July 2008

After spending several exciting hours exploring the old clothing factory we jumped back in the car to head to our next destination. To reach this place we had to hike a mile or so through the woods down a railroad track. What seemed like an hour in the hot sun later we finally reached the buildings. And oh, what beautiful dilapidation they were! The now abandoned buildings used to be Henryton Hospital which was a tuberculosis treatment center for African-American children started in the late 1920's. All that is left is room after room of peeling paint, broken mirrors and stray sinks and tubs. I must have taken over a hundred photos! I kept thinking what a wonderful place this would be to have a fashion shoot. Unfortunately, on days like these I have to resign myself to my exploring gear of cargo pants and hiking shoes. Here's a sampling of the photos that I took (except for the one of me taking a picture of my boyfriend who's taking a picture of me taking a picture of him... you get the idea ).

beautiful!! can I ask what camera setup you guys use? the pictures are amazing. and do you have any tips on deserted old places to visit in georgia by any chance?? your adventures are seriously inspiring. :)

How do you find all those great places?! I like so much to look at your photos that last night I dreamt I was searching an apartment and I stumbled upon a wonderful abandoned building that once was a school... Then I explored it and I met Ralph Fiennes, but this is another story ;-)

wow, that is probably the creepiest place you've ever shot in, just knowing its history is bothersome, you're so brave to go and shoot gorgeous photos in it! there's a book you might like, although they're restoring it now, the hospital at ellis island was totally left in shambles, lots of peeling paint, acid colors, old utensils left, its soo eerie

Wow, it looks like pictures from a horror movie, but pretty at the same time. I have a thing for old and abandoned buildings too but i'm having a hard time finding those here in finland. On the other side of our road was an old police station demolished and i regret that i didn't have time to go in and take photos while it was still there. But i kind of have a fobia of running into something freaky in those buildings too :)

oh my! these pictures are absolutely marvelous!! just the merest suggestion of a photo shoot here is making me go ga-ga! just imagine...frilly frocks, delicate blouses and vintage shoes and hats galore!

you should really go for it if you've got the time:)your readers would love you to bits for it!

My gods, now you've done it. I am officially worshipping the ground you walk on :P Those photos are beautiful! This place is amazing, so haunting, so beautiful... Love how the sun licks the walls. Wow... How did you find this place?

Do you ask the landowner's permission before going to these places or do you risk the trespassing? I'm just curious how you cover your ass because there are several places around my city that I'd like to explore, but some friends have had run-ins with the cops and some vagrants. Basically, how do you keep yourself safe?

Emily: Yep! But just for one day. I'd love to go back and explore more.

Anonymous: In some cases (when we can) we do ask for permission however it's pretty rare that we even know who to ask. Sure, there's always the risk of being caught trespassing but we are very careful. We always go out super early (like sunrise) on Sunday mornings when there are less people around. We always go together (never alone) and stay within sight of one another. If you decide to go just be as smart about it as possible, be super careful and know what the risks are.